The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-09-03

remembers 10 have met Isaac fredenburg
and Brad Mitchell. He was ferried over the
river, and passed on to Holdsrman's Grove.
ARRIVES AT MISSION POINT
While crossing " High Prairie." northeast
of where the county seat now stands, be met
Henry Brumbach, who WAS bare footed. on
foot and plodding through tho tall grass.
hunting cattle which had strsysd Of. Mr.
Mason had with him letter Of introduction
frou . man named Dart, who lived near Gin.
cinnati, 10 Q brother Who had moved 70 Mis-.
sion Creek. Mr.. Brsmbsch had sold the
latter yoke Of cattle, 3 few days previous.
and, having delivered them himself. knew
the way thther and gave Mr.. Mason the
proper directions 10 MIR. Darts. MIR. Mo.
son readily found his man, Mr.. Thomas d.
Dart, also Colonel and Samuel Barber, Mr.
Pearson and Mr.. Clum, all Of whom had
previously lived In Indiana, and all Of whom
he had known there save Mr.. Dart. After
visiting his neighbors of the future, Mr..
Mason began looking about him for job.
Mr.. Owen Hayman, at Newark, was the only
blacksmith in that region, the shop at the
Mission having been closed several years
before; and our young pioneer was good
workman, jus, such a hand az Mr.. Hay.
man wanted, for in early days any man
could get work at that trade who happened
to have bellows, IA anvil, and ever so
scan,y Get Of tools. \ forge could lie ina
proyised anywhere in the woods, and he
could burn and use charcoal, instead Of IA
lures coal, though not so satisfactory. lie
worked =, Mr.. Hayman's forge during that
summer, and, with IA eye to permanent
home as Il farmer, made claim near where
Sandwich now stands, and hired man who
broke five acres as q starter" Bat in the
fall, MIR. Souihworlb, Il new blacksmith,
came to Mission Point with good outfit and
procured aIr. Meson's services as an assist
ant. In the meantime he sold his Sandwich
claim, aud made another ia splendid loca-
ton, a mile north of where Norway now
stands. From time to time, during the one
and ahalf years of his labors at the Mission
shop, he managed to break ground and make
some fences on his farm, and in the summer
of 1887 built a log dwelling house and put
up blacksmith shop and entered upon the
dual occupations OF farmer and blacksmith,
which he followed for many years, abandon.
ing the latter when his farm had become so
large and important as to demand all bis
attention, and when blacksmithing had
ceased to be Q neighborly kindness. made
indispensable by the scarcity Of other shops.
For D while he boarded at Mr.. Thomas Nc
Clsry's, and then for another period at Mr..
Alexander or "Ssndy" Rowe's, as he was
known; but these arrangements, though as
comfortable a. possible, were inconvenient,
being at distance from the farm and time
was lost in going to and fro, and time in
those days was often extremely valuable.
He resolved to marry "the first woman who
would let him." and he soon found most
amiable and lovely young lady who pos.
sessed all the desirable requisites for pic.
neers wife, strong, healthy, self reliant,
frugal, patient, and perfectly contented with
her lot Never signing after the una,taina
BILE, or fretting about tho unutterable, or
wishing the world rounder, the trees taller,
the grass greener, nor the roses sweeter. She
lust rolled ND her sleeves, tucked up her
gown, and went singing to her work. This
worthy lady was Miss Isabel p. Neff. a sister
of Henry Neff, of East Ottawa, whose other
brother met with horrible and mysterious
fate in Florida, few years ago. They were
in 1887. Their children were
George and Wallace, living in Washington |
county, Iowa; Daniel, for long time mer. |
chant in Serena. HOW in Ottawa: Lewis. Oh
the home farm ; joseph. at Norway: Ellen
mrs. Freai), near Sheridan; Arthur. near
8. D. BARRIERS, in the same neiehborhood
A. MRS. Knickerbocksr in Hamilton
county, Iowa; Permelia mrs. A. Fowler). !
near Newark, and three dead, In the ceme. |